TT must be able to feed itself by 2020

IF TRINIDAD and Tobago is to achieve first world status by 2020, it must be able to feed itself, said Wendy Lee Yuen, President of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago when she addressed a tree planting ceremony, at the Society’s  headquarters in Preysal Village, Couva, on Saturday. “We are on the move to play our part in mobilising the country to be conscious of food production so that as a nation we could become less dependent  on foreign supply,” she said.

The Society, commemorated World Environmental Day on recently acquired 16 acres of land donated by the former Caroni (1975) Limited through the efforts of former Agriculture Minister Dr Keith Rowley. The site will house the Society’s headquarters with a range of facilities, including sections for the Horticultural Society, Caricom exhibits, the agriculture industry, the handicraft industry and forestry displays. “What we are doing here today is precipitating action to develop the site  as part of the World Environmental Day and to demonstrate our seriousness of approach in our thrust to becoming more relevant in the food production drive as we move forward in our journey to achieve the desired goal by 2020,” Lee Yuen explained. She said the Society had a membership of over 450, and serves as an umbrella organisation for agriculture with over 120 affiliated groups.

“Our aim is to stimulate agriculture at all levels and to help in introducing new technologies with the hope of  improving production all around so that the nation would be able to feed itself,” she said. Yuen added that “young people will be exposed to agricultural pursuits so that they will understand and appreciate that farming is part of the process of utilising the soil to grow food and that everything seen in the market and the super markets did not come overnight to be sold to the consumers, but was the result of toil, sweat and sacrifice over a period of time.” Lyle Donava, vice president of the Society gave an historical account of the group and its existence over the last 155 years. He said: “We could become more meaningful to the population if we succeed in creating the right type of environment that would help in stimulating the population to move toward agriculture as a means of survival.”